Unfortunately, Liberty has closed off spring practice to the public over the past week, but luckily we had some extra practice notes. With the annual spring game tomorrow, here are a few things you can be watching for:
Slot Receiver– One of the primary goals the team will have leading up to next season is replacing Gabe Henderson. While Henderson’s stats were not eye popping, he was phenomenal at playing the role of safety blanket for Josh Woodrum last year. Henderson’s ability to find open zones on third downs and his willingness to take big hits over the middle will make him a tough guy to replace.
Two guys that stood out at slot are Zac Parker and D.J. Abnar.
Abnar seems to be the best slot guy on the team. He’s quick, has good hands, and looks really comfortable playing the position. He pretty much burned his defender every time he lined up at receiver, reeling in multiple touchdown passes during the 7 on 7 drills. The only thing that would keep Abnar from being an every down receiver this year is the fact that he is also a really good running back. The amount of times Abnar will line up at receiver will all depend on his role at running back, which still remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Zac Parker is a guy that the Flames have been dying to get the ball to. He is one of our quickest and fastest players, but just hasn’t quite found his niche in the offense yet. He’s been lining up in the slot quite a bit, and if he continues to improve, could be a lethal addition to the offense. No one would be able to match Parker’s speed over the interior of the field, but obviously there are plenty more facets to the position than sheer speed.
Marquis Fitzgerald– This guy caught my eye when he made two ridiculous catches in a row earlier this spring. He has good size and speed, and looks to be able to immediately contribute to the Flames offense. So who is this mysterious wide-out? Fitzgerald hails from Prince Edward County High School in Farmville, VA. It’s tough to find much on what his college prospects might have been, but he has an outstanding highlight tape.
I actually remember Fitzgerald dominating Liberty’s intramural league last year, so to see him on the roster when I went to look up who number 81 is, was quite surprising. Usually I wouldn’t expect a tryout walk-on to be able to contribute much, especially with the group of receivers Liberty already has, but based on how he’s performed in spring practice, I believe Fitzgerald is a player we’ll want to keep our eye on.
Stephon Masha– Hopefully it isn’t a big deal, but Masha looked particularly rusty this spring. Maybe after his incredible performance against Coastal Carolina last year we are expecting too much from the sophomore backup quarterback, but considering Masha is in line to be our starter next season, it is a bit worrisome. Hopefully it is just a minor slump that will resolve going forward.
Defense– Expect the defense to rotate a lot of players in and out all season. A set 12 or 13 man rotation seems unlikely at this point, with a lot of players receiving first team reps in practice. Still yet, here is some speculation:
Safety has been one of the biggest uncertainties for the Flames this spring, but if I had to choose a favorite headed into the fall, Alpha Jalloh would be the man to beat.
Linebacker has been another committee, but you can bank on the leadership of Jimmy O’ Grady and Nick Newman to be a constant in the corps.
Corner will be another position in which we’ll see a lot of different faces, but expect Wes Scott and Tyrin Hollaway to be the starters at the beginning of the year.
Defensive line has looked great this spring, despite a number of departures. Nolan Spicer and JaRon Greene are two upperclassmen who look poised to step up. Also, don’t be surprised if freshmen Javon Majors and Tolen Avery contribute. Avery, in particular, looked ready to be a presence at defensive end. Then obviously Chima Uzowihe who will be the defensive star for the Flames.
Offensive Line– There is plenty of experience in what should be a very solid offensive line for the Flames, but they didn’t seem to have a great spring. No one could block Uzowihe off the edge. I remember one day where Uzowihe was running literal circles around Max Sommer. Anyways, this should be a solid unit, and I expect them to step up in the fall.
Also having Nicky Fulaau will be a huge boost. Fulaau had no regard for human life last year as he plowed open huge holes for D.J. Abnar. He is also a good athlete that created space around the edge and up-field.
Make sure to check out the spring football game tomorrow at 2:00 to catch the Flames in action as the spring season comes to a close.
